Week 11 Extra Point: News and notes from the Bay City-area football scene

Brandon Benac racks up some yardage in his 270-yard game Friday. (Jon Garcia | The Bay City Times)

Here’s a glance back at the second week of the high school football playoffs:

Offensive Play of the Week

The Ogemaw Heights offense was stuffed on its first two possessions and desperately needed a spark. Right on cue, Brandon Benac energized the Falcons with a 42-yard touchdown dash. The Ogemaw offense was unstoppable from there in its 48-27 victory, highlighted by a 270-yard, three-touchdown performance by Benac.

Defensive Play of the Week

Clare vs. Standish-Sterling was billed as a battle of might, and Clare linebacker Mitch Greenacre delivered the message that his team was up to the challenge. Greenacre correctly read the guard on a trap play and exploded through the line to stick Standish’s heavy-duty fullback Austin Fletcher in the backfield. With plenty of help from his friends, Greenacre brought the 255-pound ballcarrier down for a rare loss of yards.

Coach of the Week

Clare coach Kelly Luplow knew his team was in for a game-long slugfest with Standish-Sterling. So when his Pioneers got in a two-touchdown deficit in the early going, the veteran coach didn’t let them panic. Clare stayed focused to the finish, overtaking the Panthers in the second half then holding on for a 29-24 victory and a trip to the Division 5 regional final.

Audible

“You can tell things are working when the coach is calling the same play so many times in a row. They can’t stop us so we’re just going to keep calling the same play.” – Ogemaw offensive lineman Alec Stevens after his team ran for 529 yards in a win over Chippewa Hills.

Numbers Game

0: Passes completed by Ogemaw, which went 0-for-2 through the air but ran for 529 yards and seven TDs in a 48-27 win over Chippewa Hills.

2: Defensive touchdowns scored by Bellaire’s Chase Small in a 48-0 win over Owendale-Gagetown in the regional final of 8-man football.

3: Runners to go over 100 yards on the ground as Brandon Benac, Tommy Dematio and Devin Griffus all eclipsed the mark in Ogemaw’s victory.

4: District titles for Clare, second-most among Bay City-area teams behind Whittemore-Prescott since the playoff expansion of 1999.

10: Three-loss teams remaining in the playoffs, including an Ogemaw squad which has rattled off six straight wins since a 2-3 start.

13: Undefeated teams left in the playoffs after Reese bowed out against Nouvel with a 10-1 mark.

16: Points Reese led by at halftime before Saginaw Nouvel roared back for a 31-16 win.

32: Tackles by Clare linebackers Joe McGuire and Mitch Greenacre in the win over Standish-Sterling.

53.2: Average points scored per game by OwenGage before getting shutout 48-0 by Bellaire.

344: Miles from Clare to Menominee, where the Pioneers play the regional final